'''''The War of the Jewels''''' is the 11th volume of [[Christopher Tolkien|Christopher Tolkien's]] series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', analysing the unpublished manuscripts of his father [[J.R.R. Tolkien]].

'''''The War of the Jewels''''' is the eleventh volume of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', and the second of two volumes on the later development of ''[[The Silmarillion]]''.

−

It is the second volume &mdash; ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' being the first &mdash; to explore the later 1951 ''[[The Silmarillion|Silmarillion]]'' drafts (those written after the completion of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.)

+

It is the second volume—''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'' being the first—to explore the later 1951 ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' drafts (those written after the completion of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.)

This volume includes:

This volume includes:

* The second part of the 1951 ''Silmarillion'' drafts

* The second part of the 1951 ''Silmarillion'' drafts

−

* An expanded account of the "Grey Annals" &mdash; the history of [[Beleriand]] after the coming of the [[Elves (Middle-earth)|Elves]].

+

* An expanded account of "[[The Grey Annals]]" — the history of [[Beleriand]] after the coming of the [[Elves]].

−

* Additional narratives involving [[H&uacute;rin]] and the tragedy of his children (see [[Narn i Chîn Húrin]]). "The Wanderings of Húrin" is the conclusion to the "''Narn''". This was not included in the final ''Silmarillion'' because Christopher Tolkien feared that the heavy compression which would have been necessary to make it a stylistic match with the rest of the book would have been too difficult and would have made the story overly complex and difficult to read.

+

* Additional narratives involving [[Húrin]] and the tragedy of his children (see [[Narn i Chîn Húrin (tale)|Narn i Chîn Húrin]]). "The Wanderings of Húrin" is the conclusion to the "''Narn''". This was not included in the final ''Silmarillion'' because Christopher Tolkien feared that the heavy compression which would have been necessary to make it a stylistic match with the rest of the book would have been too difficult and would have made the story overly complex and difficult to read.

−

* Christopher Tolkien's explanation of how he, with the collaboration of [[fantasy]] author [[Guy Gavriel Kay]], constructed Chapter 22 of the Silmarillion, since none of the texts left by Tolkien for this purpose were up-to-date enough to serve the purpose. In particular, the old texts all have Thingol portrayed as a miserly swindler who cheats the Dwarves out of their payment, and the portrayal of the Girdle of Melian in the older stories is much weaker than the impenetrable barrier of the post-LotR writings.

+

* Christopher Tolkien's explanation of how he, with the collaboration of fantasy author [[Guy Gavriel Kay]], constructed Chapter 22 of ''The Silmarillion'', since none of the texts left by Tolkien for this purpose were up-to-date enough to serve the purpose. In particular, the old texts all have [[Thingol]] portrayed as a miserly swindler who cheats the [[Dwarves]] out of their payment, and the portrayal of the [[Girdle of Melian]] in the older stories is much weaker than the impenetrable barrier of the post-''Lord of the Rings'' writings.

−

* "Quendi and Eldar" which discusses in greater detail the [[Awakening of the Elves|origin of the Elves]] and their [[Sundering of the Elves|sunderings]].

+

* "[[Quendi and Eldar]]" which discusses in greater detail the [[Awakening of the Elves|origin of the Elves]] and their [[Sundering of the Elves|sunderings]].

−

* Tolkien's exploration of the origins of the [[Ents]] and the great [[Eagles (Middle-earth)|Eagles]]

+

* Tolkien's exploration of the origins of the [[Ents]] and the great [[Eagles]]

+

==Contents==

+

* Foreword

+

* "Part One. [[The Grey Annals]]"

+

* "Part Two. The Later ''Quenta Silmarillion''"

+

** "9. Of Men"

+

** "10. Of the Siege of Angband"

+

** "11. Of Beleriand its Realms"

+

** "12. Of Turgon and the Building of Gondolin"

+

** "13. Concerning the Dwarves"

+

** "14. Of the Coming of Men into the West"

+

** "15. Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"

+

** "The Last Chapters of the ''Quenta Silmarillion''"

+

* "Part Three. The Wanderings of Húrin and Other Writings not forming part of the ''Quenta Silmarillion''"

+

** "[[The Wanderings of Húrin|I. The Wanderings of Húrin]]"

+

** "II. Ælfwine and Dírhaval"

+

** "[[Maeglin (chapter)|III. Maeglin]]"

+

** "IV. Of the Ents and the Eagles"

+

** "V. The Tale of Years"

+

* "[[Quendi and Eldar|Part Four. Quendi and Eldar]]"

+

** "A. The principal linguistic elements concerned"

+

** "B. Meanings and use of the various terms applied to the Elves and their varieties in Quenya, Telerin, and Sindarin"

+

** "C. The Clan-names, with notes on other names for divisions of the Eldar"

Additional narratives involving Húrin and the tragedy of his children (see Narn i Chîn Húrin). "The Wanderings of Húrin" is the conclusion to the "Narn". This was not included in the final Silmarillion because Christopher Tolkien feared that the heavy compression which would have been necessary to make it a stylistic match with the rest of the book would have been too difficult and would have made the story overly complex and difficult to read.

Christopher Tolkien's explanation of how he, with the collaboration of fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay, constructed Chapter 22 of The Silmarillion, since none of the texts left by Tolkien for this purpose were up-to-date enough to serve the purpose. In particular, the old texts all have Thingol portrayed as a miserly swindler who cheats the Dwarves out of their payment, and the portrayal of the Girdle of Melian in the older stories is much weaker than the impenetrable barrier of the post-Lord of the Rings writings.